CLAUDE MAKELELE - CHELSEA CHAMPION.

Claude Makelele Sinda. GOOD BYE

D.o.b : 18 Feb 1973,
French international football player.
Jersey No. 4
Clubs played : Paris St. Germain, Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid,
last but not least, CHELSEA. (2003-2008)
Chelsea purchased him for £16.6 million from Real Madrid.


However, despite his value to the team, Makélélé was one of its most influential players of that time (relatively) under-paid members, earning a fraction of that paid to team-mates like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Raul, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Steve McManaman, and Guti. In the summer of 2003, feeling that his position at the club was insecure after the shock sacking of Del Bosque and the arrival of David Beckham, and encouraged by team-mates Zidane, Raul, McManaman and Fernando Morientes, Makélélé decided to ask for an improved contract. The Real management flatly refused to consider his request. Upset, Makélélé handed in a transfer request, whereupon he was signed by Chelsea. Club president Florentino Perez infamously poured scorn on Makélélé's footballing abilities and proclaimed that Makélélé would not be missed:


'We will not miss Makélélé. His technique is average, he lacks the speed and skill to take the ball past opponents, and ninety percent of his distribution either goes backwards or sideways. He wasn't a header of the ball and he rarely passed the ball more than three metres. Younger players will arrive who will cause Makelele to be forgotten.'


His opinion differred from that of players like Zinedine Zidane, who remarked the following after Makélélé' was sold and Beckham was bought:

'Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?'

Delicated to Claude Makelele,
You are a hero in the soccer world!!!
Your smile your laughter, you soccer skill made everybody salute you!!!!

Fernando Hierro said :
"I think Claude has this kind of gift - he's been the best player in the team for years but people just don't notice him, don't notice what he does. But you ask anyone at Real Madrid during the years we were talking about and they will tell you he was the best player at Real. We all knew, the players all knew he was the most important. The loss of Makélélé was the beginning of the end for Los Galacticos... You can see that it was also the beginning of a new dawn for Chelsea. He was the base, the key and I think he is the same to Chelsea now."

MAKELELE MENTION :

"I always said this would be my final competition," said Makelele. "I have no regrets about finishing now.
"Most of the decisions I have taken I have always taken 100 per cent.
"I have sweated for this shirt and it has brought me 100 per cent happiness, so there are no regrets.
"A new generation can take the reins and come together. I am totally with them."